SEATTLE | Downtown Projects: Completed, U/C, Proposed/Approved - Page 73

InlandEmpire · #**1441** Posted **Jan 10, 2008, 5:23 AM**

Awesome update! The towers u/c downtown are really gaining some momentum. The area around 2201, Enso, and Rollin Street really reminds me of parts of dt PDX. I'm glad to see O8 gaining ground too- especially because it's going to help hide that hideous concrete Qwest Plaza- yuck!
I think 1521 is my favorite right now- that deep blue glass is striking.

InlandEmpire · #**1442** Posted **Jan 10, 2008, 8:54 PM**

08 and 1521 are starting to make an impact from the East as well:

Photo by me on a particularly beautiful January day

Aleks · #**1443** Posted **Jan 10, 2008, 11:47 PM**

Nice. Can't wait until it reaches the Qwest Tower. Is it me or does it look skinnier in real live than in the renderings?

destroybananas · #**1444** Posted **Jan 13, 2008, 7:12 PM**

I agree. that's deserves the worst of the wrost trophy...

Urban Zombie · #**1445** Posted **Jan 14, 2008, 3:40 AM**

^
I third that motion. Does anybody know if any of the proposed/approved/UC towers will end up blocking Mr. Qwest's ugly mug when looking at the city from West Seattle (or will it continue to stick out like a turd in a rose garden for sometime)?

Aleks · #**1446** Posted **Jan 14, 2008, 7:37 AM**

Well, Hotel 1 will block some of the lower portion but not much and from certain places 1521 will cover Qwest. And unless they tear that ugly Westlake down (which I doubt) and make a new tower then Qwest will stay visible for a while. For some reason I like the Qwest Tower, just not as much as other buildings. It's not my favorite.

And I got my camera back but I won't do much updates since I only go downtown in the Winter if I need to since it gets cold at times. But on days like today I would. It was a beautiful day this Sunday.

Aleks · #**1447** Posted **Jan 16, 2008, 2:57 AM**

A fast update on 1521 from Rainier Square:

Complex01 · #**1448** Posted **Jan 16, 2008, 7:29 PM**

I got this off the web cam for 1521. They changed the angle, which i am very glad they did. Looking awesome...

Hoodrat · #**1449** Posted **Jan 19, 2008, 1:54 AM**

Are the tides turning?

From Wendy Leung's Seattle Condo Review

January 17, 2008
Reverse Conversion: Expo 62
In an interesting twist and contrast to all the aparment-to-condo conversions we saw in 2006 and 2007, Expo 62 has converted from pre-sale condos to "luxury apartment rentals" for summer of 2008. You can see their placeholder one-page website here.

This unexpected change is further evidence that developers are not able to unload new condos at the frenetic pace of a couple years ago (seems like yesterday when Cosmopolitan practically sold out in 1 day before the ground was even broken). It's also another data point on the rental market becoming increasingly attractive for investors to pay their bankers' interest and perhaps earn a little income while the sales market takes time to firm up again. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they switch back to condos in a few years.

seaskyfan · #**1450** Posted **Jan 20, 2008, 5:34 AM**

I was walking by 5th & Yesler today and they were installing the crane.

Hoodrat · #**1451** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 4:53 PM**

No new news or pics?

C'mon y'all...I know its cold, but its been sunny and hella dry out for days now. I can't imagine better conditions for quality pics. Doesn't anyone besides Vashon have a camera? There are a loads of rapidly progressing u/c skyscrapers in Seattle right now. Is nobody even interested in documenting thier progress? If 1918 8th, 1521, West 8th, O8, Escala, or even the 4 Seasons hotel/condo were currently going up in San Francisco, San Antonio, Atlanta, San Diego or Philly, they would each have thier own thread in the highrise construction section and probably have extensive weekly updates by several forumers.

Seattle has a comparable volume of skyscraper construction as any of those places. Why are we so underrepresented on this forum (and don't start on with the whole "everybody pissed off to SSC" bullshit)? It's almost like the situation with the Sonics.....nobody seems to care. Is it the infamous "Seattle (N)ice" syndrome? I just don't get it.

Vashon118 · #**1452** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 5:58 PM**

There will be some new pics soon (probably tomorrow evening or Saturday). I got some the last few days, but haven't had the time to resize and upload them.

JDRCRASH · #**1453** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 6:14 PM**

I love Seattle.....it's so green!

But they need to fix up the Alaska Triple Deck Highway, It looks worn down and ghetto.

BTW, is the Monorail up and running? And are they going to extend it?

seaskyfan · #**1454** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 7:20 PM**

^ We're working on the Alaska Way Viaduct (surface boulevard is back on the table). Monorail is up and running but won't be extended.

The SLUT is running though.

http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/

JDRCRASH · #**1455** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 7:24 PM**

I think a monorail extension would be good. They should extend it to Seattle/Tacoma Airport. That would definately decrease traffic.

Actually, the parts of Downtown around the Alaska Viaduct area kind of remind me of San Francisco.

Brandon1978 · #**1456** Posted **Jan 24, 2008, 11:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by InlandEmpire

08 and 1521 are starting to make an impact from the East as well:

Photo by me on a particularly beautiful January day

This picture shows very well how central Seattle is becoming increasingly dense. Rather than building tall buildings in outlying areas, as in, oh, say, Atlanta or Houston, they're concentrating them in the core, which of course I think is a good thing.

mhays · #**1457** Posted **Jan 25, 2008, 12:26 AM**

That photo is taken from a census tract far denser in residential terms than anything in Atlanta or Houston.

And yes, I do like the fact that our downtown, both CBD and edges, is either dense, urban, and walkable or heading in that direction, depending on the spot.

InlandEmpire · #**1458** Posted **Jan 25, 2008, 1:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

I think a monorail extension would be good. They should extend it to Seattle/Tacoma Airport. That would definately decrease traffic.

Actually, the parts of Downtown around the Alaska Viaduct area kind of remind me of San Francisco.

The new Link light rail system will take care of that.

JDRCRASH · #**1459** Posted **Jan 25, 2008, 5:18 AM**

Cool. That is just like what is going to happen at LAX. The Green Line(also a light-rail line) is going to help travelers get to the Airport more quickly.